Other partner organisations

The Academy collaborates with a wide range of organisations in delivering the Diversity and Inclusion Programme including:

Athena SWAN

The Academy is a founder member of the Athena Forum, which was set up in 2008 following on from the Athena Project. Now known as Athena SWAN, it provides a Charter for Higher Education Institutions and departments which can demonstrate commitment to policies and practices that support the progression of women in academic science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical subjects.

Business in the Community (BITC) and Race for Opportunity (RfO)

The Academy is a member of BITC which is a business-led, issue-focused charity with more than 30 years' experience of mobilising business. BITC engages thousands of businesses through its programmes driven by its core membership of over 800 organisations from small enterprises to global corporations.

Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI)

The Academy is a member of ENEI which is a UK employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace. ENEI offers a variety of services to its members such as providing best practice and legal advice, training, research, benchmarking, events and other services.

InterEngineering and Stonewall

The Academy held employee- and employer- focused events supported by InterEngineering and Stonewall to raise the profile and level of debate of sexual orientation within engineering. The Academy was delighted to sponsor in February 2017 the launch of a video series profiling 20 LGBT engineers in collaboration with InterEngineering and Mott MacDonald. In 2016, the Academy proudly sponsored the launch of InterEngineering report: ‘Tackling homophobia in engineering’, jointly authored by Alec Shelbrooke MP and Dr Mark McBride-Wright at the House of Commons.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London

SEO London provides educational support and career access to young people from under-represented and under-served backgrounds to help maximise their opportunities for university and career success. The Academy is working with SEO London and 13 engineering employers to increase the flow of undergraduates and recent graduates into engineering work experience and employment. The work centres on providing a vehicle to engage with more disadvantaged, ethnic minority and female students, and students from outside the Russell Group.

STEMM Disability Advisory Committee (DAC)

The Academy is a founder member of the STEMM DAC, concerned with improving access to science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine subjects in education and careers. An example of the committee’s work is the creation of over 100 new physics and engineering signs in British Sign Language, to help engineers and trainees with hearing impairment learn more effectively and quickly.

Technician Apprenticeships Consortium (TAC)

The Academy has also funded work to explore the role of apprenticeships in improving access to engineering careers by underrepresented groups. In 2012/13, the Academy supported the TAC and the Institution of Civil Engineers through a project to diversify apprentice recruits.

Tomorrow’s Engineers

The Academy supports Tomorrow’s Engineers work in promoting the breadth of exciting careers in engineering to schools across the UK. In 2013, The Academy delivered a project titled Designed to Inspire as part of its Diversity Programme to encourage more engineering students to transition from education into engineering employment. Aside from the development of a showcase of role model materials, Designed to Inspire included a series of role model events and videos intended to give engineering students an opportunity to find out what it's really like to be an engineer.

In addition, Tomorrow’s Engineers, the Academy and a number of engineering companies have worked together to produce a useful guide for employers who are looking to offer work experience to secondary school students.

The WISE Campaign

The Academy works closely with WISE, which provides information and advisory services to industry, academia, professional institutions, education and research councils, while supporting women entering and progressing in science, engineering and technology careers. The Academy and its Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Group employers worked with the WISE Campaign and their corporate partners in 2014 to develop an industry-led 10-point plan which launched with 20 signatories in September 2014. The 10-point plan captures recognised good practice to improve retention and progression of women in predominantly male environments. The Academy also sponsors the annual WISE Awards which showcase remarkable women and men whose stories are not widely known but are changing the face of science, technology and engineering in the UK.

In March 2014, WISE produced for the Royal Academy of Engineering with support from the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and Women into Engineering and Technology (WiSET) at Sheffield Hallam University a booklet support Principals, Governors and leadership teams of University Technical Colleges to increase the participation of girls in STEM.

Women in Engineering Society (WES)

WES is a charity and a professional network of women engineers, scientists and technologists offering inspiration, support and professional development. The Academy is a proud supporter and sponsor of the WES and National Women in Engineering Day, which is co-ordinated by the WES team and takes place on 23 June annually.

The Academy has also funded the RETURN project which is a year-long activity and forms part of the work of the Engineering Diversity Concordat. The aim of the project is to work with the professional engineering institutions to find ways to support their members who are on career or maternity breaks.